The Price We Pay
by JinxedRenegade
Summary: Annabeth is a Valkyrie, hand chosen by Odin to serve as a guardian to the nine realms. She has proven herself more than capable of baring the burden of such immense power and responsibility via her countless victorious battles, her strong convictions and her charismatic charm. But Loki breaks out of his cell during a Jotun raid, banishing Anna to Midgard as a new enemy appears.
1. Chapter 1

The colossal golden doors that fronted the throne room opened without hesitation as Annabeth and Thor made their way up the shimmering staircase. Although she's been up and down the steps countless times, feeling she was important enough to have doors opened for her always came as a shock.

"Wasn't that the most glorious battle?!" Annabeth exclaimed as she turned to her side to face Thor, who answered with a jubilant laugh.

"They always are with Asgard's champion by my side." Thor shot Annabeth a smile that brightened up the already luminous hallway.

"Flattery gets you nowhere"she remarked with a light scoff. The two made their way down the spacious corridor to Odin who was sitting upon the throne. He stroked his unruly gray beard as he glanced from Thor to her. The two of them took a knee, bowing to their king.

"I assume all went well at the negotiation with Laufey, considering your heads weren't returned to me without the rest of you attached." Odin said with a light nod of approval.

"Father, what made you think some ice giants could get the best of the greatest soldiers this realm has ever seen" Thor questioned.

"Your arrogance will be your downfall my son-"

"Anna's a Valkyrie though" Thor smirked and glanced at Anna, who returned the sideways smile as she furrowed her white, feathery wings.

"I am well aware of her race, but that does not make her invincible. And you Thor are far from it." Odin let out a heavy sigh though Anna and Thor didn't seem to notice, they were wrapped up in each others eyes.

"Do you hear that my liege? I believe that is the sound of wedding bells!" came a man's voice from off to the side. It was none other then Fandral, the ladies man of the famous Warriors Three.

Anna's gaze quickly shifted from Thor's sparkling blue eyes to the misty eyes of Fandral.

"Isn't it cute when they kill things together?" Fandral asked mocking attraction as he grabbed his heart and flung himself against the wall.

"That's enough Fandral" Odin said sternly.

"Can't have any fun around this place I swear" Fandral tossed up his hands and tossed Anna a quick wink before leaving the throne room muttering to himself.

"Back to the matter at hand, I have a task for you Annabeth."

"Your will is my command, Allfather." She said as she locked eyes with the aging king.

"I'm taking you out of the field, you are to keep a special eye on Loki. I am completely confident in the cell's ability to hold him but I can trust your restraint better than any of the guards on duty right now."

"You've got to be-" Anna almost sprung to her feet but stopped herself and remembered her place. Though the knot in her stomach was already tightening.

"My liege, you can't expect me to leave the offensive just to keep an eye on Loki. My skill set is better suit in protecting the realm." Anna tried to persuade Odin to reconsider his abrupt decision.

"You can protect the realm by making sure Loki is kept locked away. And yes, it is my final decision. When I rule Loki is no longer a threat, you can return to the field and rejoin your friends." Odin knocked the bottom of his staff against the ground, signaling her dismissal. At that moment her high spirits crushed into a sudden bitter resentment towards Odin, taking her away from the things she loved; battle and her friends.

"But father, Anna can strike down 10x the number our own armies can on her own" Thor pleaded with the King but it was of little use. Anna slid off her helmet of gold and ivory, shaking out her blond silken curls. Rising to her feet, and with a final bow, she held her helmet under her arm as she left the throne room and headed for the prison cellar. As she walked down a spiral staircase, the sound of her heels clicking against the marbled floor resonated throughout the area, causing the guards already on duty to stand up taller and in a tighter formation opposed from their usual casual approach.

Annabeth's features were soft and delicate, despite all the battle she'd seen. Her eyes always held a glimmer of hope in their raging tides of blue no matter what the gang had gotten themselves into. All Valkyrie's looked pure and holy no matter how battle hardened her comrades grew which caught most people off guard, wondering as to how such an exquisite girl could be fighting with the vigor of a youth and the wisdom of a veteran.

Her armor was made up of a golden and white breastplate and greaves with long boots that had spiked heels. Gauntlets that added sharp points over her fingers, like nails. With tiny pauldrons that protected her shoulders. Open areas of her body; upper arms, midsection, thighs; were laced with red velvet ribbons.

Her weapons of choice were two great-swords, one in each hand that she kept in sheaths on both sides of her hips. The blades were thick and long, almost as big as her, but she waved them around effortlessly slashing through her enemies. The hilt of the swords had an embellished wings on them which gave them the Valkyrie's blessing, which kept the blade sharp and unbroken no matter what it slashed into.

The guardsmen saluted her as she was about to enter the prison.

"What brings you down her Lady Annabeth?" one of the guards asked.

"I've...I've been stationed down here to watch Loki until the Allfather deems him no longer a threat." she manages through clinched teeth. The two guards could feel her anger just by her tone of voice and opened the door for her without further conversation.

Nearly all the prisoners were there because of Annabeth, and didn't take kindly to seeing her face again. No matter how pretty it was.

The prisoners grew rowdy and shouted profanity and made disrespectful gestures at Anna. Who kept her composure for longing than she usually would've.

"The only reason any of you are alive now is because Thor insisted on punishing you. But Thor isn't here now to save you."

In an instant she had moved from the entrance, to the front of a cell 10 paces away. She was remarkably light on her feet.

"My punishment consists of flaying every single piece of skin from your worthless squalid bodies."

The prisoners grew silent once more and resumed their prior engagements among themselves.

"That was what I thought" Anna mumbled to herself as she made her way down the dark corridor to a cell that housed a single man. Who appeared to be reading a book in a secluded leisure, not seeming to notice her at all. Annabeth leaned up against the wall on the side crossing her arms and hiking a leg up against the wall.

"Why have you come here?" The man asked without looking up from his novel.

"I wouldn't be in this filth unless I had to" Anna remarked as she blew one of her lolling curls out of her face.

"Hah. Did father make you come babysit me?" he asked with an amused smile and looked up from his book to glance at Annabeth.

"Of course he did, why else would I bother with the likes of you?" Anna asked meeting the mans deep green eyes.

"I'm not sure, maybe because of my devilishly good looks?" he asked returning to his book.

"Oh look, he has jokes. I'm not in the mood right now Loki."

"You always used to enjoy my jokes, You've grown into such a bore." Loki said with a flick if his hand.

"That was then, this is now. You're lucky I don't kill you for all you've put me through."

"Remember when we used to lay out on mothers garden and watch the stars?" Loki asked sitting up.

"That was many moons ago, remember when you killed 80 people in two days?" Anna answered as she looked into the cell and remembered the sweet innocent boy she had grown up with. He had grown up to be very handsome like his brother, but in his own way.

"That was many moons-"

"It was a month ago" Anna reminded him.

"You're very pretty, did I ever tell you that?". Loki said in a soft tone.

"I'm not letting you out". Annabeth smirked at the fact he tried to persuade her, for she was unwavering in her convictions.

"Worth a shot I suppose." Loki shrugged and continued back to reading his book.

"But I guess when I do escape, and Odin knows I will, that's why you're here, is it not? I'll take it upon myself to pull out your feathers one-by-one until you beg me to stop; and then I will keep going." Loki's soft voice turned back into it's bitter, venomous tone.

"Quite the charmer" Annabeth said unfazed and slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor.

There was silence between her and Loki for a while, but anything but silence around the dungeon. Prisoner's set wagers on who'd get out first, even who'd die first. Guards did their share of gossip about who in town in behind in their taxes, about the most recent frost giant attacks, and about Anna and Thor's peace treaty negotiations with Laufey. But Anna was daydreaming in her own little world as per the usual. Her eyes fluttered shut as she remembered each moment that happened this morning. How Laufey agreed to their terms of live and let live; and he would stop his men from attacking Asgard, then to the two of them getting ambushed as they were about to leave. She remembered how cold and crisp the Jotunheim air felt on her skin and how desolate the realm looked, as if it lacked any amount of happiness. She almost drifted off into a sleepy haze if a guard did not rush over and shake her shoulder.

"Lady Annabeth! please come quick, there are frost giant's on the bridge! Would you like me to prepare Elyanna?"

Anna jolted up right, wishing that was shocking news, but in all honesty she expected it.

"No, there's no time, I'll be taking to the skies" She said glancing into the cell at Loki who seemed to pay her no mind once more.

Anna rushed back up the staircase and she felt her heart begin to race. This was the 10th raid on Asgard in the past month; Heimdal cannot see them enter and that in itself is incredibly suspicious, because someone had to be letting them in; oh it was old Loki all over again. As she reached the top of the stairs she opted for the open balcony over the door. With a running leap off the marble ledge her wings elongated and they caught a gust of wind. Annabeth threw her helmet back on and flew to the Bifrost. The sky was a hazy dark orange for it was almost nighttime and she could already hear the sound of metal clashing.

Dropping down onto the bridge, she landed with one leg bent and the other elongated and her wings were still spread out in a bestial fashion, one that made her appear larger for an intimidation factor as if she was a wild animal.

"You sure took your time!" called Fandral who was slashing away at two ice giants. Their bodies were a deep blue color and their eyes were as red as blood, it was never a look Annabeth could get over, they looked like monsters and she was pure. The cycle of life and death must continue, she will live and they will die. Whether it be by her own hand, or that of her comrades.

"Have you started the party without me? Fandral you know better" Annabeth called as she drew both her behemoth blades from her sides. She rolled them around her hands with grace and precision as she sliced the head off of one of the giants and both parts of him fell off the edge of the bridge and into the torrential waters below.

"How are so many getting through?" exclaimed a woman with thick jet black hair.

"Not having fun Sif?" questioned Fandral as he finished off those ice giants from before.

"Where's Thor?" asked a hearty looking man with a long brown beard.

"I'm sure they've gotten in somewhere else and he's handling them. Not to worry about Thor, Volstagg" Annabeth said as her eyes began to glow a vibrant gold.

"Fire in the hole" Fandral said mockingly.

"Shield your eyes." Annabeth murmured as her body levitated into the sky.

Her companions did as they were told while Annabeth put both her hands side by side and began charging a beam of light. She felt the raw power coursing through her and channeling it into her palms. In a matter of moments the large beam of blinding light rained down onto the Bifrost and left all the Jotun as piles of ashe. Anna's body levitated back down to the ground in the middle of all the dusty remains of her advisories.

"Ya'know you could've done that 10 minutes ago." Fandral said as he dusted himself off.

"And what fun would've that been?" Anna asked with a smile.

"The ladies got a point." Volstagg said with a bellowing laugh

"But where's Thor? he should've cleaned up ages ago." Annabeth asked as she looked from the charred remains to Fandral.

"Thor won't be coming anytime soon." came a serpentine voice.

"How did you get out Loki?" Sif asked as she drew her sword against him.

"That's my little secret." Loki said with his signature maddening smile.

"What did you do to him?" Annabeth asked as her grip on her blades grew tighter.

"Now now, you should worry as to what I'm going to do to you, harpy." Loki said through clinched teeth as the three looked onto him. Annabeth's eyes began t glow again but the silence was broken by the sound of a dagger cutting through flesh.

"We'll have none of that anymore." Loki said into Annabeth's ear as he grabbed her and pulled her close to him and shoved a blade into her side.

"And when will you guys stop falling for my double." Loki snapped his fingers and the version of himself they all were looking at disappeared.

"What..what was that?" Annabeth asked as she felt her own legs begin to buckle. The sensation was all but pleasant. It made her limbs weak and made her nauseous.

"That my dear was a ebonheart blade. I had it made specially for you. If any of you so much as make a step, ill make sure she dies on the next impale. Tread carefully." Loki began to take steps back, pulling Anna along with him into the console of the Bifrost.

"Heimdall, Midgard if you please or her blood will be on your hands."

Heimdall made slight eye contact with Annabeth before shoving the sword into its holder. The Bifrost began to spin rapidly and the spindle went from at the top of the dome, to the side. Once the portal was ready Loki threw Annabeth's body in and watched it limply be taken off at an extreme speed.

"Thank you for your cooperation, now you might want to go find Thor before it's too late..." Loki laughed hauntingly before jumping into the portal himself.

**A/N: What Annabeth's Helmet looks like: thumbs/26/ed/fantasy,helm,reference-26ed1baa3a68b84ab56539777da38966_ ?ts=93246**

** This is a work in progress, I'd love to her feedback on things I did well and things I did not so well. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

It was in the early hours of the morning when Annabeth fell from the sky like a shooting star. She was fully conscience as her body hit the side of a skyscraper and ricocheted off and hurtled into the grassy Bryant Park.

Anna let out a hacking cough as she grabbed at the ground. Her impact had left a crater in the hard earth. But she soon gave up her futile efforts of trying to get up, for all of her strength had been drained away. Her dirt-covered wings beat a single time before resting. Annabeth felt like she had been rammed by a bilgesnipe, but rather it was a building that she rammed into. Her breaths began to slow and become more drawn out as her vision got blurry. Her head throbbed and she felt she couldn't hang on to her conscienceness any longer and blacked out.

When Anna awoke it was the middle of the day, the sky was a bright blue and there were white puffy clouds dotting the serene sky. But when she lifted her head up, she noticed there were people lining the edge of the crater she had created. They were watching her and murmuring to themselves about what she was; "an angel" "an alien" "a superhero!" "A problem.."

Annabeth was taken back by such strange looking people; they shared the same type of body, but their clothes were so odd and foreign. As she sat up she was greeted by a red palm in her face. It seemed to began to glow brighter as she looked closer into it.

"I have one of those too" Annabeth said with a small smile and held her palm up. Her eyes and hand began to glow again as a beam of light shot out of her hand, sending the man in the red armor flying back, out of the pit.

Just as quickly was she met by all the people on the edge of the crater pull out these strange contraptions on her. "Guns! that's right, I remember Thor telling me about them when he returned from Midgard." Anna reminded herself.

"State your name, where you are from, and why you have come here" said a shorter man in a black and white suit who had a megaphone.

Annabeth stammered to her feet but kept a firm grip on her side, where she had been stabbed. She sized each one of the men up, thusly presuming them not a threat to her godly powers.

"I am Lady Annabeth of Asgard" she proclaimed proudly locking eyes with the short man.

"Asgard eh? I don't take kindly to liars." he answered as he slid his sunglasses down to get a good look at her face.

"How dare you accuse me of such a thing! Why do you not believe me?" Annabeth asked truly puzzled. She never had to explain herself before.

"None of your buddies have feather dusters attached to them." said the man in the suit of red iron as the faceplate lifted up. He was considerably attractive in a rough sort of way. Strange facial hair though.

"I am a Valkyrie, a goddess who has earned the divine blessing." she said, looking from the handsome robot to the man with the megaphone.

"Great, another God. Are you a friendly?" The man asked.

"Pardon me, a 'friendly?" Anna asked in a confuzed tone.

"Have you come here to make a mess, or do you come as a friend?"

"We're still cleaning up the last mess Loki left here."

"I do come with gentle tidings, but I did not come here on my own whim either, if I did I don't think I wouldve made such a ... graceful enterence." Anna cringed and lifted her hand off her side to reveal the bloody gash that caused her so much pain.

"She needs a doctor" one of the agents said.

"No, I do not. Just give me a moment and I can heal myself." Anna insisted as she picked herself up out of the ditch.

"Wait, you are the man of iron I had heard so much about." she looked up to Tony as she smiled widely.

"Call me Tony." he said as the facemask retracted back into place.

"I'm Agent Colson." said the short man.

"Pleasure to meet you, son of Col" Anna said with the same smile.

"Is that a thing where you're from?I seem to get that a lot"

"Take me to your Bifrost, I must return to Asgard at once." Anna looked around at her strange surroundings. It was noisy where she landed, honking of horns, people talking, the sound of car's exhaust.

"We don't have a way to get you back," Tony began "The only way you could get from Earth to Asgard is if you had the Tesseract, and Thor took it with him when he brought Loki back."

Annabeth felt her heart shatter into millions of tiny pieces.

"What do you mean you can't get me back?" She asked holding back the pain in her throat.

"I mean exactly what I said, we don't have the technology to get you back right now" Tony said crossing his arms.

"Do you not understand the importance of me getting off of this rock? Loki has escaped from his cell and he now wields a blade that has the means to disable me. I am the strongest God aside from the royal family Asgard has seen. How do you think my powers translates into your world?"

"Loki has escaped? Do you think he will come back here?" Colson asked with haste.

"I am not sure, but something is fueling him, making him stronger. I fear your planet will become a battleground of the Gods." Anna said with sorrow in her voice. She had just met these people though she felt like she already knew them through all of Thor's stories. They didn't deserve all the death and destruction her people have brought, and will bring in the future. Hell, Thor was in love with one of them, so they must have some substance; these mortals.

"What do you mean by a battleground? Let me get this straight, you mean to tell me this planet has to deal with your family drama again?" Tony couldn't help but butting in.

"No, that's not what I'm saying, besides we don't even know if Loki has come here." Anna tried to reassure them, but deep in the back of her mind, she knew she needed the reassuring aswell.

"Fret not, should anything happen, I am on your side."

"Oh that makes me sleep soundly at night." Tony said scoffing with obvious sarcasm.

"Glad to hear it does," said Annabeth not picking up on his subtle sarcasm. Agent Colson motioned for two men to escort you to the cars.

"We'll take her to the Helicarrier, thanks Stark. We'll be in touch" Colson got into the driver's seat of the car and awaited for his men to get Annabeth in.

"I'd like to stretch if you would please, I'll be right behind you." Anna walked away from the men and the car.

"Stretch what?" Colson asked as he opened the window.

"My wings" Anna said with a happy smile as they began to began to beat and pulled her up into the air.

"Fine, but follow the car."

Annabeth flew high into the sky and did a flip here and there. The air was so warm it eased her aching bones. As the car pulled off the curb, it blended in with the other cars on the streets. Anna wrinkled her nose as she tried to figure out which car she had to be following. She flew closer down to the ground once she spotted it so she wouldn't lose it again. People looked at her in awe, small childen pointed and others stopped what they were doing to gaze at her beauty, that or the fact she looked so strange and out of place. Either or, really, Anna didn't mind, she even giggled at the thought of people in awe of her presence. Growing up, she wasn't the center of attention she became; but quite the opposite. She was always deemed unworthy of much when she was younger but her only outlet was training. She would take up arms and practice day in and day out, saying how one day she would become the fiercest warrior the nine realms had seen. Her mother used to laugh and tell her the world was hers for the taking and that's exactly what she did.

Remembering her mother brought a smile to Annabeths face as she glided through the air. She quickly snapped out of her daydream as the car rolled up to an open platform. Just as her feet touched the ground beside the ebony car, a helicopter landed with a roaring gayle of wind. Her golden locks danced in the strong winds as Colson stepped out of the car.

"Care to join me in the helicopter? Or did you plan on flying the whole time?" He asked as he shut the car door. Annabeth thought for a second and tapped her chin with her finger.

"I rather do enjoy the flying" she finally said.

"Of course you do, follow this helicopter to the helipad. It'll get pretty high. There are people who are waiting to meet you." Colson gave a faint smile before hoping into the flying machine. Annabeth nodded as she began to fly up into the air. The helicopter followed suit as it raised into the air and began flying out over the water which smelled of seaweed and fish. It wasn't the most pleasant thing, but it sure completed the feel of the city.

Annabeth flew close to the water and held her hand in it, just breaking the surface. There was a passing ship that read "NYC Tours" on its side. Annabeth swooped around the boat a few times with a large smile before flying up into the sky to follow the helicopter. The clouds tickled her face as she flew through them to see a large airship flying above. She already knew that was where she was headed and beelined straight for it, landing on the deck before Colson's helicopter.

"Lady Annabeth?" came a strange voice from a door on the side.

"Yes?" Anna answered as she turned around to view the man. He was tall with dark skin and an unforgetable eyepatch over his left eye.

"I'm Agent Fury, please step inside." he said as he backed out of the doorframe, inviting Annabeth in. She hesitated before accepting the mans stern invite and the heavy metal door slammed behind them.


	3. Chapter 3

Annabeth was led into a brightly lit room that housed but a single dark gray chair. The agent had spun her down into the seat as clamps came up from the arm rests, securing her arms to the chair.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Annabeth angrily yanked at the clamps just as more came across her ankles and her chest, truly securing her.

"This is just a precaution." Agent Fury said while narrowing his eye at her. Suddenly Agent Coulson burst through the door.

"Sir, I'd strongly advise against that!" he shouted, but it was too late.

Annabeth's eyes began to glow with fiery wrath as the shackles melted into a pool of metal underneath her.

"How dare an insect such as yourself try to control the likes of me." Annabeth's entire body began to glow as another woman rushed in.

"I heard the commotion, what's wrong-" Her eyes gazed over to the pile of resonating energy with wings on her left. She immidently drew her gun that was holstered on her hip.

"Romanoff, I wouldn't-" Coulson tried to warn her, but she began shooting at Annabeth anyway. To which Annabeth replied with a disheartening laugh as she swiped her hand and the red haired woman flew against the wall, and stuck against it.

"I crash land on your planet and this is how I am treated? Like a prisoner of war? How dare you" Annabeth payed no mind to the woman behind her, who was clawing at her throat for breath.

"Agent, I would talk to your men. I am the last person they want as an enemy." She flicked her wrist and Romanoff dropped to the ground, breathing heavily. The bullets that had been aimed at Annabeth, were scattered around the room, for each one ricocheted off of her, not even leaving a scratch. Agent Fury looked at her in awe. Immune to bullets, quick to temper if crossed, the pure energy radiating from her, it was truly one of the most impressive things he's ever seen.

"I just needed to see what you would've done. Standard protocol" Agent Fury said approaching Annabeth.

"Sir! you should see this!" A man came running through the door with an electronic tablet in hand. The video on the tablet was of something falling from the sky, a large object. Untill the screen focused and became clearer, and then it hit her.

"Loki" she mumbled as she watched the mans form land on the ground in the midsts of a cloud of dust.

"Loki? He's here? Wasn't he supossed to be locker up by your people?" Fury asked in an unreadable tone. Was in anger? Fear? Confusion? Annabeth didn't know.

"Let me go after him" her stare was blank but aimed towards the tablet. she had one goal in mind and that was to make Loki suffer and drag him back to asgard.

"No; you need to stay here. Ill take my men and scout the landing sight. If Loki is still there, he can't know that we have you on our side."

Fury locked his hands behind his back.

"You don't understand, Loki is my reaponcibility, I will find him no matter which realm he decides to escape to." Annabeth's hands gripped around her blades hilts forcefully untill her fingers turned white.

"Well you're doing a mighty fine job of keeping him in check, now If you would excuse me, we need to clean up another mess from Asgard." Fury was curt and left the room in a brisk pace. The air no longer felt stale and hard once he left. He was mortal but there was a certain presence he had, Anna couldn't put her finger on how he held his ground against someone like her. He dares tell her, a god, a Valkyrie, the right hand of Odin, the oncoming storm, the east wind, to stay back? to not go after the treasonous snake that is Loki? Who did he think he was? Coulson snapped her from her thoughts back to the matter at hand.

"Have you tried just talking to Loki before?" He asked with prodding eyes.

"Talking to him?" She questioned as her hands slipped off her blades.

"Yeah, maybe being a diplomat between Thor and Loki, maybe get him to give up trying to take over Earth."

"Agent, I am not a mediator, I am not a diplomat, I am not an ambassador, I don't do the talking. I am built for combat, grueling war. I am called on when peace negotiations fail, not to draw them up. Odin lives for diplomacy, but sometimes it just doesn't happen and that's where I come in. I front the lines and lead my people to victory in every battle we had come across since I had been knighted. No I cannot talk to Loki because he was branded as the enemy and I do not fraternize with the enemy untill their head is on a pike."

What she said turned Coulson silent and he thought about what she said. He tried to understand but it oddly made a bit of sense. Asgard was completely different from his world, so maybe that's just how they do things.

"Are you hungry? An action man's got to eat, eh?" He finally asked, breaking the silence.

"I am quite, I hadn't eaten in a day before I got zapped here." she smiled but the stab wound on her side she figured would heal by now, hadn't and throbbed painfully. It healed somewhat, but her regeneration process was slowed expodentially. That was what Loki meant by a blade made just for her, the blade could sieze her healing by so much, she could eventually die from such a weapon.

"You alright?" He asked "you seem to be spacing out a lot, you with me?"

"Right, yea, sorry. It might be from the hunger." Annabeth let out a friendly laugh.

"Then let's get you some grub." Coulson opened the door for her and proceeded to follow her out.

The helicarrier, as they called it, was very large and spacious. Coulson led her down a hallway that had windowed walls as they passed what looked like a laboratory of sorts. Anna peered in as a man working inside met her gaze and never broke it. He had short, curly hair and an intelligent look about him that was completed by his glasses. "The cafeteria isn't far, just down this hall." Coulson turned to the left, down another hall that also had glass panes for walls. It looked over the helicarrier's command center. Dozens of people sitting at dozens of computers, talking and typing away. The air above the hub was loud, filled with the sound of voices and the clicking of keyboard keys. Much different from the serene quietness that flowed about the lab. The two of them reached large double doors and Coulson pushed them, opening up the grand cafeteria of the hellicarrier. There were rows upon rows of tables and bars alongside the ceiling high windows so you could sit and look outside as you ate. In the center was a giant ring of food and chefs cooking. Anna followed Coulson to the beginning of the line and he grabbed a plastic tray and signaled for her to do the same.

"They have everything here, you're bound to find something you like." Coulson smiled and proceeded down the line, putting a steak sandwich, side salad and a milkshake on his tray. Anna didn't know any of the food because there were mostly different animals on Asgard. Moving her tray down the line she picked up a basket of fish and chips, poached eggs, and a bottle of coca cola, whatever that was. The chef behind the counter smiled at her before she returned it and sat across from Coulson who was sipping on his millshake.

"I would avoid Romanoff for a little bit, she might be upset about the part where you slammed her against the wall and nearly choked her to death." he took a bite out of his sandwich. "She brought it on herself, she shot at me." Anna tried pulling off the top of her bottle, but it wouldn't budge.

"Though that's true, she is one to have an attitude." he watched her try to open her coke with amusement. Annabeth was clearly struggling to open her cold beverage. "And as for avoiding her, it would be in her best interest to avoid me. Seeing as I am also one to have an attitude." Annabeth said matter-of-factly before slamming the drink back on the table and turning to eat some of her food, completely giving up on the drink. Coulson grabbed it and twisted the top off as the bottle made a refreshing hissing sound.

"It's twist-off" he said with a smile, holding back a laugh. Anna looked flustered at how easy opening the drink was and a tad embarassed. "Thanks" she said meekly before taking a swig of the black colored liquid. It tasted amazing when her palate was so jaded between water and wine. It was Bubbly and sweet but the bubbles irritated her throat.

"What do you call this?" She lightly shook the bottle side to side.

"It's soda, and that specifically is Coca-Cola, or just Coke for short."

"Well it's deliscious." She put the bottle down and turned to eat her fish and chips once more.

"So how did you wind up landing in Bryant park?" Coulson asked sipping his milkshake. "Well, me and thor had come back from "peace negotiations"" she used air quotes, " by peace I mean by force, we beat some sense into Laufey and his goonsquad of Jotun because they had sent brigades of ice giants into Asgard at night for the past month or so. It was another one of these night raids when I was taken out of the field and asked by Odin to watch Loki in his cell. I'll admit I waspretty upset at his sudden dicesion because I don't do guard duty, it's not what I was bred for. So all as quiet and I was watching Loki when an officer rushed in and said how the ice giants were attacking once again. He implied he would take my place as guardsman and I rushed out to the Bifrost to help the warriors three fight off the onslaught. And that's when Loki magically appeared and stabbed me with some magic blade that actually pierced my regenerative abilities and knocked me out and I woke up here." Annabeth told the story as if it was no big deal and dipped her fish in trader sauce and took a bite. Totally satisfied, she continued to eat.

"Wow, so what do you think happened?" Coulson asked as he bit into his sandwich.

"I think the officer that told me about the raid is working with Loki and once I was gone he let him out. But I can't jump to any verdicts nor do much of anything from down here. Even with my power I can't just fly myself back to asgard."

"You keep referencing your power, what exactly can you even do?" Coulson asked intrigued.

"Well my natural form, all our natural forms are about the size of your crystler building. We just can't reach that form outside of Asgard. Uhm lets see, I'm not very good at talking about myself. My blades are blessed, they will never dull and can cut through just about anything and everyone. uhm I'm really good at battle tactics and strategizing, and the divine power inside of me has limitless potential that I can use and mold to any situation. I think that just about covers it." She took another sip of her drink.

"Wow, that's quite something different than the supers I'm used to."

"Yes, I've heard so much about all of the Avengers, Thor thinks of you as family." Annabeth suddenly dropped her fork into her plate and covered her mouth with her hand.

"What? What is it? Is something wrong with the food?" Coulson asked hastily. "No, It's Thor, before Loki stabbed me he told me Thor had been compromised and I need to save him. But I am here and I don't know if the warrior's three can do it on their own." Anna's face flushed as her inner hate of Loki stirred and boiled.


	4. Chapter 4

"What do you mean Loki compromised Thor?" Coulson asked anxiously.

"I mean exactly what I said."

"I know Thor, he's not exactly a push over."

"But Loki is the God of tricks and mischief, illusions. He could've lured Thor with an image of Jane and imprisoned him or something. I don't know, and it pains me not to know."Anna slammed her fist on the table as she jolted upright out of her seat.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he's okay. Your friends probably already rescued him and he's worried sick about you." Coulson tried to reassure her, although he was internally worried for Thor. Thor or not, they had a task ahead of them now, here, on earth.

"He wouldn't worry about me" Annabeth sat back down and her muscles relaxed.

"What makes you say that? You are friends, arnt you?"

"Because we are all warriors, we know eachother like the back of our own hands. Thor doesn't waste a breath because he knows I can do anything. But sometimes that's not the case, Loki has forged a blade that can kill me, KILL ME. We don't know how or where he got that kind of information. Thor doesn't know that, he doesn't know Loki can show up with an army wielding weapons of the same caliber, ones that can shut me down. And I promise, if I'm slain, your world will know no mercy. I am your otherworldly line of defense. And even with all that, Thor will care about Jane's security anyway. Why did I just tell you any of this?"

Annabeth asked as she furrowed her brows at what was coming out of her mouth.

"I don't know, but I don't mind hearing it. Even the mightiest need someone to listen once in a while." Coulson have Annabeth a warm smile. "I'll show you where you'll be staying" Coulson got up from his chair and motioned for her to follow him.

"I'll be staying here? Like, sleeping and eating and that stuff?" She asked catching up to his fast walking pace. "Did you have somewhere else to go?" "Well, no, but I also didn't know there were lodgings here."

"Of course there are, a majority of workers live here." They both exited the cafeteria and Coulson lead her to her room.

The walk there was silent but Anna didn't mind. She was too busy looking around and taking everything in about the strange contraption she was going to be living on. Coulson eventually stopped abruptly and Annabeth knocked into him, for her head was in the clouds. Coulson laughed and straightened his jacket.

"Put your hand on that" he pointed to an indented panel by the door.

"It'll remember your hand print and it will act as a key that let's you into your room."

"How nifty" she placed her hand on the scanner and a light paced up and down, taking her handprint.

The door eventually slid open revealing a beautiful room that had a window that allowed her to see the sky, or the ocean when the helicarrier was a ship. The bed was large and was already made nice and tight. She immidently jumped on the bed with a gleeful laugh and messed it up.

"I'm guessing you like it?" Coulson asked as he leaned against the door to her room.

"Very much" Anna buried her head in one of the pillows. Her wings rested on her back.

"Just call for me if you need anything, I'm never too far away." Coulson banged on the door before he left an it suit behind him.

The bed was so soft if felt as if she was resting on clouds. It's soft texture reminded her of her bed back home in the palace. She wasn't going to lie, she missed home. Ever since her parents were killed, she's lived in the palace with Thor and Loki and she grew to love them very much in their own way. Thor was always the rebellious fighter and Loki was the quiet, intellectual one. Since Annabeth embraced both battle and brains, she was able to hang out with them both. Though in the end she truly fell for Loki's mysterious elegance. Thor fell in love with a human anyway, so Anna didn't exactly feel bad about growing closer to Loki. He acted differently around Anna than everyone else. To her he was kind, loving, vulnerable.

But Loki fell into a black hole and Annabeth had to move on, they all thought him dead. That was untill he wound up on Earth, trying to take it over. Annabeth was ordered to hold down the fort as Thor went to get Loki. When he returned with him and the terreract, Anna threw her hands over his neck, wrapping him up in her embrace. But he wasn't the same Loki who left her, this Loki was cold and callous and Anna felt it. She looked up at him with regarding eyes as he looked back down at her with blank, empty ones. And that's all she could take before rushing out of the throne room, leaving Odin to pass his judgement. Wait, why was she thinking about this now? Her love was long gone and someone new was in his shoes. The thought was just wasted energy. It was best just to cut all ties and memories to Loki, it would make things so much easier if she was to meet him on the fields of justice if he was but a chaotic evil, and not the one she would've died for. Sitting up, Anna decided to take her armor off, since it was considerably uncomfortable to sleep it.

She rolled up the ribbons and slid out of the plate. unfortunately since she wasn't home, she didn't have a change of night clothes. So she just stripped to her under garments and hopped back onto the bed and rolled herself into the warm comforter. She buried her face back into the pillow as her breathing slowed and she drifted off into sleep.

*Annabeths Dream*

Earths Mightiest Heros fought the enemy valiantly, but they were sorely out numbered. Annabeth was caught, cornered by a large man that had a hue of purple skin.

"Caught like a fly in my web" the man laughed in a deep, gruff voice.

"My prey thinks it's so clever" Annabeth smirked to hold her ground, she wasn't scared of him, but she was too smart to think he wouldn't do her any harm. The sky blackened as if a violent storm was rolling in.

"Your prey? I'm afraid youve gotten yourself confused. Your end is nearer than you may think," The man stood tall as his hands began charging bolts of energy. He slammed his fists into the ground and it spiked up as it traveled towards Annabeth. Jumping, she avoided the initial spike, she smirked and went to look at the man, but her vision was greeted by a boulder hurtling towards her. She swiped her blades and the piece of Earth fell to the ground as Anna landed herself.

"quite lovely reflexes, too bad they won't do you any good." As he punched the ground, boulders formed in the air. When he punched them, they were sent flying at Annabeth. The barrage was oddly overpowering and knocked her into the ground. Boulders rested ontop of her wings, pining her to the ground. But there was another force, a forign one that kept her from getting up. As if an invisable boulder resting on her chest.

"What is this?" Anna struggled to get out. "Its the burdens- your burdens. The people you couldn't save, the lives you took merciessly, the ones you left in the hope of greener pastures, the ones you failed. The millions of people youre going to fail. Oh, how the mighty fall?"

He let out a maddening laugh as suddenly, all of Annabeth's comrades; whether from Earth or Asgard, scattered along the ground next to her, lifeless. Anna couldnt help but looking at them, how real they looked. But the idea of actually seeing them like this was heartbreaking, where tears nearly came to her eyes. She stopped them just in time, it's unwise to cry infront of your enemy for they keep that weakness agaisnt you.

"Who even are you?" she asked with a quivering lip. "I am your worst nightmare. I am your fate, and you cannont escape me. I will bring onto you death and destruction, for you stand for justice and light and everything that stands in my way. I will crush you, I will cut the courage out of your very being. They call me Thanos and I am eternal." He punched the ground once more, and it fissured sending Anna falling down, deep into darkness. The sliver of light that was her salvation became smaller and smaller and she fell further down untill it was pitch black.

Annabeth jolted awake to someone knocking on her door.


	5. Chapter 5

The knocking continued as Annabeth rolled off the bed, cautiously walking towards the door. She kept her body behind the door and peaked her head hit considering she wasn't dressed only to reveal no one at her door. Matter of fact, there was no one in the entire hallway. Suddenly striken with confusion, she leaned further out of the door to confirm her theory of no one there. She was correct, though she already missed her warm bed being the hall was so empty and cold. A chill ran up her spine as she turned back and closed the door behind her. Maybe she was just hearing things.

"Hello Dear" hissed a voice from near her bed.

"What do you want, Loki?" Annabeth asked as she grabbed for the sheet on her bed to cover her body.

"Don't act as if I havnt seen you in a more compromising state. But pleasure isn't the reason I am here." He began to pace back and forth with his hands locked behind his back.

"Ooh I see that wound hasn't healed up yet, marvelous." His daggerd eyes pierced her side once more where the scabby scar sat, tainting her perfect skin.

"Why are you here" Annabeth asked through gritted teeth as her hand clenched her side to obscure his vision from his handy work.

"I'm here to make a deal"

"I don't make deals with devils"

"Oh but I'm quite sure you will. If you join us, I will leave your pathetic planet in tact, and I will release Thor from his prison."

"Why would you need me to join you if you didn't plan on claiming earth?"

"Because I will leave Earth, but every other world, every galaxy, every soul, you will claim for me." His sudden hard exterior and strange aura faded into that of the old Loki. It was quote strange, as if a signal has broken.

"Rule with me, you've always belonged by my side and now you can be once more."

"Ah, the sentiment." Annabeth mumbled as she scoffed.

"They took you away from me, how can you still take their side!?" Loki demanded with a searing rage.

"These people have done nothing, you've taken yourself away from me. you've fallen so far from grace and have taken so much with you. It's not too late, you can be redeemed! Let Thor go, give up this, this, volatility. Come home." Annabeth secretly will always love Loki, and the whole fiasco tore her apart inside. But she had to choose between heart and duty, love and what's right. And that was a fight where the latter would always win.

"I cannot come home anymore. I no longer have a home" The mushy tone of Loki turned harsher once more and the air around them tensed up.

"Silly girl, you had your chance, now you've brought this war apon yourself. Their blood will be on your hands."

"This world will either go down with me, or we won't go down at all. Prepare yourself, you'll need it. An East Wind is coming."

Loki's image faded as there was another knock at her door. Walking over she thought, what else could possibly be needing my attention as of right now. Swinging the door open, a sandy haired man stood there, wide eyed as they set on her pale body. Following his glance, she looked down, noticing she wasnt wearing any clothes. She had forgotten that small but ever so crucial little detail and hopped behind the door, so her head was just poking out. She blew a piece of lolling hair out of her face and looked back up at the man.

"Uhm" He scratched the back of his neck and looked side to side, down the hallway.

"Lady Annabeth?" he stutteringly asked.

"That all depends on who's asking?" she answered with a cheeky smile.

"I'm Steve, Steve Rogers. I was told you'd be in your room, but the boys in the lab sent for you. Not sure why they wanted you; but they did."

"I will make my way over there right away."

"I would put your clothes on first" he advised.

"That's probably a good idea." The two of them lightheartedly laughed suddenly their eyes met. Annabeth hadn't noticed how blue they were. Or how attractive he was, wow he was gorgeous.

"Well I'd better get ready" she finally broke the silence with a smile.

"Yeah, I'll be seeing you." He returned the smile and began walking back down the hallway. Annabeth watched him go untill he turned a corner and left her sights. Then she closed the door and began redressing.

She slid her plate on and fastened it, then rewrapped the silken ribbon around her, making sure to cover her scar aswell. Before leaving, she glanced into the mirror and swept her bangs to the side of her face. Loki was acting very strange, at first he was admiring his handiwork at destroying her perfect skin, then he was missing her, like he felt some remorse and pain. But then It faded and he became malevolent once more.

The thought of Loki always filled her with mixed emotions, but this was way too abnormal. She unconsciously had remembered the steps and turns she took from when she passed the lab earlier, which allowed her to return. Though she was so caught up in her thoughts, she walked into the glass door with a loud thud. This caused the men inside to look over from their monitors onto her, who was rubbing the impact site on her forehead as she pressed a button on the side and the door slid open.

"So nice of you to finally join us, how was your beauty nap?" Stark asked, lookin back to what he was doing.

"Don't mind him, I'm Bruce, or you can call me Banner, either or" the curly haired man walked up to her and took her hand to shake.

"I'm Lady Annabeth"

"Oh, believe me I've heard. The whole 'Asgardian warbringing angel' business."

"Valkyrie" Anna hastily corrected.

"Right." Banner returned to his monitor.

"What's even the difference?" Stark asked. He had not looked at her since she came in.

"The difference? While angels are draped in robes singing hymns of divinity, I am conquering lands and slaying armies single handedly. it's a small difference, easy to overlook I suppose."

She didn't enjoy being mistaken for those cherubs with no knowledge of how the worlds work. How Tolling war truly is. Sure there was some holy war for them, but it's long since over. Valkyries monitored the cycle of life. Warriors will live, cowards will die. And that was a principle she lived by, of course cowards were considered those who signed up for battle and hid, and those accused of treason, not innocent people. The Valkyrie's Codex insures that when a Valkyrie is presant, innocent souls will be preserved or avenged by their might.

Stark let out a small laugh

"Now why is it I'm here? what did you need?" She asked as she leaned against the wall.

"Nothing too major, just a little-" Banner had poked her arm with a needle and drew blood. After examining it against the light, he returned back to his monitor. The screens in the lab were held by robotic appendages that hung down from the ceiling, allowing the screen to be moved, tiled, and turned. He implanted the vile into a machine which made a beeping sound as it registered it's contents.

"What was that for?" She asked, rubbing the injection spot.

"Science" Banner said as he fixed his glasses. A young man came into the room swiftly.

"Fury needs all of you at the usual meeting spot" he left just as quickly as he had come.

"Well ladies, let's rock and roll." Stark was the first one out, and not knowing where to go, Annabeth followed him. Banner trailed behind. Anna and Tony had some time to talk;

"What is your worlds fixation on Earth?" he asked while eating some bagged peanuts.

"It's not new, we've always been silently watching. You're one of the realms, and warriors of Asgard swore an oath to protect all nine of them."

"So is Loki not a warrior of Asgard?"

"He oddly is, in his own way. He's seen the past of the earth, how much death and corruption plagues it's history. And he merely wants to rule it; to spare such scrambles for power and senseless killings. But that is not the way of Asgard, and we told him that. The thing that makes Asgardians so intrigued by Earth is that mortals have a certain, vigor about them. We live for thousands of years, you live but a small fraction of that, yet human life is filled with so much more in those small years. Loki was never really a warrior, that was Thor. Loki was the quiet, mysterious type. But tell me, what is it you do?"

"What do you mean?" Tony questioned.

"I mean, what can the suit do?"

"A lot of things, I have a program wired to it named JARVIS, and he pretty much is my own computerized butler, But with the suit I can fly, lift tons of weight and shoot lasers, nothing too amazing. How about you, what exactly is the job of a valkyrie?"

"I am the right hand to the Throne. The King's will is my command. Last time when Loki was here, I would've come too if I had not been ordered to keep peace within the realm without Thor being there."

"So you just have to listen to the King? Sounds superfluous, don't all warriors do that? Yaknow, lay down your life for your master type stuff.

"Well i mean, immense power is kind of a perk. But yeah, I take orders straight from Odin and nobody else. Who do you take orders from?"

"Me, myself and I"

"And you wondered why Asgardians admire your people." She smiled as they walked to a round table set off from the control center.

Sitting there already were Romanoff, Rogers, and another sandy haired man. Tony took a seat and Banner followed. Anna perfected leaning up against the wall.

"I've called you all here for a reason, it seems Loki has returned with the same intention as before. The only difference is he seems more powerful in extrodinary ways. Annabeth, do you know what this is?"

Fury tapped the table and a screen projected into the space above. It was video footage of Loki leveling a small town in upstate New York. Something was different about it, about him. Loki was always adept with magic, but this seemed beyond his capability. Fury had the screen close in on Loki's face, where a golden talisman stood on his forehead. The image didn't register at first, she knew she had seen it somewhere though. Then it hit her;

"The eye of magus..." she said as if she were confused and surprised.

"So you have seen it before?" Fury questioned as he put his hands down on the table. All the eyes at the table shifted to her.

"Yes, I've seen it in my peoples Codex; it was in a log of artifacts, powerful artifacts that had be lost In time. Someone had to have given it to him, there's no other way he could have obtained it."

"What makes you think that? he could've just stolen it from whatever vault you keep them in." Rogers perked up.

"Neither of us were born when it disappeared, it was a talisman that only brought destruction. You cannot build with it, or save a life with it. Only destroy and kill. It was a weapon used to control valuable people."

"What do you mean control?" Romanoff asked.

"I mean, once you say some spell and slap it on someone's head, they are transformed into an obedient ball of death."

"So who put it on Loki?" Banner inquired.

"That's the thing, I don't know. Odin had banished it to the -then- barren moon of Titan, after beating one of his greatest foes, Amarith, who had placed the jewel on Odin's strongest warrior, Ralithe, forcing him to fight against his family and friends, ultimately destroying the planet of Uriel."

"How do you know so much about this?" Romanoff asked.

"I've done my homework." Annabeth smirked at her but she was broken off by Fury speaking once more.

"So you're saying we have a super charged Loki with someone bigger and stronger out there?"

"Silly mortal, there is ALWAYS something bigger and stronger out there." Anna scoffed.

"How do we stop it?' Rogers asked

"We cut the head off, the beast will fall." Annabeth uncrossed her arms.

"We'll need Loki though, he's being controlled from another world. such an influx of power on earth would've been noticed."

"If this creature comes, what signs should we look for?" the man who's name she didn't know asked.

"You will know, believe me, because a path of destruction will follow in his wake. Do we have any idea where Loki is? I can bring him in and try to fish out the information we need." Anna looked towards Fury, seeing as he's the one who took the scouting party.

"No, we have no confirmed location on Loki. He Vanished when we arrived."

"Super, just super. I want all accessible cameras looking for him, and follow a trail of nuclear power, he should show up as a power plant."

"Get the men on it" Fury motioned to agent Coulson. Annabeth unclipped a bracelet she had been wearing and it floated over the table before sinking into it, as if it was a rock in a pond.

"Titan is a moon that was believed to be completely barren untill the rise of the Eternals." The SHIELD screens were overrun by her own, that showcased Titan and the galaxy around it. The moon spun around as little rectangular screens popped out of certain areas, showcasing footage of armies marching and rulers giving orders.

"The Eternals are an immortal race of giants who possess cosmic power, and their leader is unknown. All Asgard knows is that the Eternals have a hardened hate for all Asgardians and anyone weaker then them. Odin had once sealed the moon off, in their own little galaxy, far away and unable to harm anyone. But many millennia have passed and it's safe to assume such a barrier has been broken." The screen showed a golden forcefield put around the moon and it eventually crumbled.

"The Eye not only possesses the wearer, but it also allows them wield the 5 elements."

"There are only 4 though" Said Stark.

"You only have 4, but there are 5, Earth, Air, Water, Fire and Magika; It's also safe to assume that after all this time and probable global Infection, the Eternals found the Eye buried in its crust." The screen continued to change with what she was saying.

"What even is that? How could you go from not having an idea who controlled Loki to having a PowerPoint ready?" Stark sounded angry and suspiscious.

"My bracelet is a portable library that allows me to pinpoint the things I need. Once you put two and two together, it's easy. Loki's controlled by an amulet that was buried on Titan, and the Eternals currently occupy Titan." She explained then went back to her presentation.

"Any and all weapons, battle tactics and statistics for Titan are unknown to Asgard. We do not know what they are capable of, which makes them the perfect enemy. We don't know what to prepare for, or gather, or where to position for an attack. We are in the dark and will remain that way untill it is too late unles you find me Loki."

"Sir, we have a match!" Shouted one of the men at the computers.

"Where?" Fury and Annabeth said simultaniously as they rushed behind the man to look at his screen.

"British Parliament." He said with a saddened expression.

"Get all the legislation OUT OF THERE" Fury shouted

"I'll take care of Loki and save the building" Anna put her hard over the table and the bracelet emerged and clipped itself back on her wrist.

"Anna, take one of these, we need to be able to talk with you. You can reach any of us or Fury."

"You're not going alone, you said it yourself, we don't know how powerful Loki has become." Romanoff grabbed her arm and made Anna look at her.

"But it is still Loki" Anna lightly pulled Romanoffs form grip off of her arm.

"Expect backup" Rogers called as she started for the door.

"I expect nothing"

Anna hurried out of the aircraft and onto the platform eventhough they were midair. Diving off the aircraft, her wings caught the air and propelled her foward. On her own, she could fly there faster than the large aircraft. It wasn't long before the sun was supossed to set, which means she would reach her destination at night. Loki was monstrous, but he was also cunning and intelligent. He wouldn't blow up the government right away, he would sit and listen, take mental notes of mortal affairs. There was obviously something he needed to know, otherwise his British target is a pointless target.

But what could he be searching for?

**A/N: Woot, another chapter done! leave a review on why you think Loki could be at the Parliament. And dont forget to mention things you liked and didnt!**


	6. Chapter 6

Night had fallen, turning the English air cold and crisp. Anna could see Big Ben already and beelined for it. Having spent so much time watching over earth, she had gotten a very good sense of where things were. She had ignored the voices that tried to reach her threw her earpiece. To be honest, Anna didn't want them getting hurt. Naturally, she saw what they were capable of during the battle for new york, but she feared that was only a hurdle in comparison to a mountain. Screams and shouts were heard in the distance, coming from the Parliment building. Anna quickened her pace untill she hovered over the center of the building.

"Rush na sta, tiri vi" Annabeth's eyes glowed and shimmered in a golden hue. Her hands were also covered in gold light as symbols also appeared to glow up her arms. She thrusts both hands down onto the building, sending streams of light crawling over it untill it radiated with an aura so magnificent. Anna walked to the edge of the building, peering down at the havoc in the streets that all turned to look at Parliment as if it was a beacon of hope.

"Show yourself Laufeyson !" Annabeth called as she flew down to the ground. Looking around, Loki was nowhere to be found.

Annabeth was hit with a force unexplainable as her body flew through the wall she had just protected. Dazed and confused, she sat in the rubble for a moment, trying to grasp what just hit her. Looking up, she saw it. Some horrible, creature made entirely out of patchwork. Parts of its body clearly weren't his own, with a lobster like claw and a solid stone as the other hand, it stood towering over her. It smelled like death. Grimey, decaying death. It's breathing was heavy, but it was remarkable quick for its bohemoth size. Anna rarely gets sneaked up on, but this, this was, insanity, ithad to be her own error.

"The dark will be purged" Anna put her hand out and charged a bolt of light. As it fired and produced a blinding light, the bohemoth was sti standing afterwards. Completely stupefied by her spell not working, she froze. The bohemoth grabbed her extended arm and flung her in the opposite direction. But instead of crashing into that wall, she turned and landed on her feet against the wall, crouching.

"What are you" Annabeth demanded as she drew her blades. The creature didn't respond, but pounded the ground.

Annabeth propelled off the wall, blades poised and ready. Twirling like a top, she used both blades in unison to cut chunks out of the bohemoth, but they didn't cut as deep as they normally did. Using a column to her advantage, she pounced off of it and twirled back behind the bohemoth, cutting a slab out from its back. That seemed to work and put the beast down, but it's body began to buldge and move. Ducking behind a large piece of broken rock, Anna hid as the grotesque body exploded. The smell after that was even more putred than when it was alive. The smell of week old eggs and fish couldn't help but make Anna gag and dry heave.

Screams were heard again as all the senators rushed out of the grand meeting hall and out into the streets, flooding right past Anna behind her rock. Though curious at what they were running from, Anna waited, looking at the door, waiting for something to come out that was in need of slaying. Then he came. Loki emerged dawning his horned armor. He wore a smirk on his mug as the men ran out of sheer terror from him. Anna waited for Loki to be ahead of her so she could position behind him.

"I've got eyes on the target, I'm going in." She whispered while holding the button down on her earpiece.

"Do not engage! I repeat, do not engage, we are almost there." came the voice of Romanoff from her ear, though Anna chose to ignore it.

"Mochtra Rana va" Annabeth began glowing, her eyes became bulbs of emitting light. Running up behind Loki, blades drawn, she went to slice but she was blocked by Loki's staff.

"I knew you'd be here, nytengale" came his slithery voice. Annabeth didn't respond, only bounced off returning her blades to her sides.

"Have you come to take me up on my offer?" Loki asked as he spun the staff between his fingers.

"Just the opposite" Anna smirked.

"Shame, but I should've known. You always were a righteous quim." Loki scoffed.

"And you always were weak." Anna returned the attitude but braced herself.

"I'm going to need you to come with me" Anna pointed her blade at him.

"Oh I'm not going anywhere." Loki laughed as he blew her out into the street. Thumping to the ground, Anna sprang back up. With her extreme speed, she dodged his attempts of firing bolts of fire at her. She was practically invisable to the untrained eye. She reappeared above Loki with her blades making an X behind his neck.

"Who is controlling you Loki." He didn't reply, only blew a stream of cold out of his mouth and it wrapped around Anna, freezing her in place. As Loki turned to walk away, she broke free and ran at him once more. All her hard slashes were blocked by his staff besides one or too slices here and there that got past. Her swipes were careless, reckless, imprecise. all things she was trained not to do, all things she wasn't.

"Why have you don't this to Loki? Where are you? Who are you? Why are you here? What is your plan? Why do you want Earth? Why do you want Loki?" All the questions poured out of her as she continued to furiously swipe her blades. Her shots became heavier as the emotion made her throat tight. "

Join me. You are perfect, unwavering and powerful, think how much we can achieve together?"

"We will achieve nothing together" Annabeth said through gritted teeth.

"Then burn." Like a dragon, Loki puffed and burning flames poured from his mouth. Annabeth swept up into the skies. Her palms glowed as she placed them next to eachother and fired a bolt down onto Loki of pure energy. The bolt left a crater with Loki in the center, crouching yet unscathed. Annabeth flattened her lips, visabley unemotional, but inside she was confused and afraid. How could he be completely okay? I just took Loki into my mind, knowing he wouldn't live through that. But not only was he alive, he was completely unharmed. As she landed the sound of an airplane roared in the distance, the airplane that carrier her allies.

"Who are you." Annabeth asked once more, firmly.

"Your nightmare" he whispered.

"Are you my nightmare? or am I yours?" Annabeths eyes glowed "Amiri dah vi" thrusting her blades into the ground, and turning them as if they were keys, the ground split and fissured. Light poured out of the cracks untill it reached Loki's feet, then raised around him, trapping him in a cylinderical prison. Pulling out the blades from their earthern sheath, she spun them back into their holsters. Just as she approached the cage, the ground began to shake. Turning the corner was an even larger bohemoth than she had just fought. It was nearly as tall as Big Ben. It stumbled it's way towards her, large feet stomping the ground and crushing anything beneath them.

Anna gave a reluctant look at the imprisoned Prince, as if she's saying 'really? Realllllyyyyy? you've got to be kidding.' Before taking up to the skies. The beast let out a furious battle cry as it slapped a building and it's hand crashed through it, nearly collapsing the building. Anna flew right up to the beasts face, she was barely the size of its nose.

"Man, you're fugly."

She drew her blades as it swung for her, trying to grab her. She flew past te first arm which crashed into the building, sending piles of rubble hurtling down to the ground. Though the second one clipped her leg, sending her spiraling into the ground. Just as quickly as she fell, she flew back up, trying to get behind the beasts neck. It was fast and kept swatting at her, keeping her away. Bouncing off the wall, she spun and used both her blades to cut chunks out of its body, though it proved no use, since the missing pieces grew back.

"What is that thing?" asked Romanoff through her earpiece.

"That's a really good question" Annabeth answered as she spun up the beasts side and ran across its shoulders. Leaning completely back, she dodged the next flail.

"Get it's attention, the only way to take it down is through the neck." Anna slashed at its body untill the plane began to fire a torret of bullets at the giant, grabbing it's attention. The beast cried out as it began to stagger towards Romanoffs fighter plane.

This gave Anna enough time to use a nearby building as leverage. As she bounced off of it, she spun across it's neck, slashing a chunk out of it. The beast let out another cry as it fell to the ground. Just as before, it's body began convulsing.

"Get away!" Anna yelled through to romanoff. She flew straight past their plane.

"What? why?" Romanoff wanted Anna to explain, but there was no time for that. Just as Anna opened her mouth, the monstrosity blew up, taking everything with it besides the building she had protected. Anna murmured a spell as her eyes lit up which allowed her to switch places with her target. Within a second, Romanoff was confused her plane was at such a farther distance away, and in complete safety.

"Annabeth? Annabeth. what was that? where are you?" Anna's body lay sprawled on the ground, her left wing and leg stuck under large pieces of rubble.

"It was me saving your lives" her voice was hoarse and quiet. She faintly smiled as she tried to free herself. Everything that was in the blast radius was on fire and destroyed.

"Is this what you wanted, bird?" Loki asked as he walked up to her in her helpless state. The earpiece never shut off, so the guys back on the plane could hear them.

"Did you honestly want all this death?" Loki asked.

"It was never about what I wanted. It's what I had to deal with." She struggled to freeherself. the blast hurt more than she thought it would. It felt as if her body was a rag doll that had seen the washing machine too many times.

"So how about I make it easier for you, I could just kill you. right here, right now. you are immortal, but not when I have the ebonhart blade. It really is a shame." Loki dug his foot into her side.

He was suddenly knocked back.

Rogers appeared standing at her side. Before Tony also levitated down in his suit. He stood next to Rogers.

"You guys are a little late." Anna murmured.

"Well we were blown off course." Rogers smiled and the two proceeded to remove the boulders from her appendages.

"How shocking, you brought them." Loki wiped his mouth and got up. Anna staggered to her feet aswell.

"Just trying to even the playing field" she said, grasping her side. Her face was darkened with ashe but it still radiated light.

"War isn't even!" He yelled before scoffing. "Good thing I made extras."

The ground began to shake as 5 more of those giants came walking towards them. They came from all directions. "5 more? The city of London can't handle 5 more of those explosions." Stark said as all 3 of them stood back to back.

"How can we handle 5 at the same time?" Rogers asked.

"I'll do it." Anna called to Loki.

"You'll do what?" he asked.

"Take the deal. me for thor, loki and all these innocent souls on this world." She began to walk over to him. Rogers firmly grabbed her arm.

"You can't do that, you don't know if he's telling the truth. and you don't know what he'll do to you. it's not safe."

"Nothing I've ever done was safe, but if I can make sure your world doesn't pay for our errors, I will do that. It's my job, and if there comes a day where I must choose to protect me or you, the latter will always be the answer."

"You can't leave yet, you owe me lunch."

"Since when?"

"Since right now"

"I'll have to take a rain check, captain." Anna tossed a smile at them both before continuing her walk.

"Stark do something"

"No, she's right. if they want her, let them have her. She's not worth this entire planet." They both watched her, waiting to see what she'd do next.

"So you've come to your senses?" Loki asked.

"Do not trifle me with meaningless chatter. I'm here, I want Loki and Thor released." Suddenly in a tornado of light, much like the bifrost, Thor landed in the center. bound, but unharmed.

"Lady Annabeth!" Thor had a large smile on his face. Annabeth tensed up, trying to hold back showing any emotion of sadness. Sure, the people she loved more than life itself would be free to live their life, but she probably wouldn't be apart of it anymore. But she managed to return the happy smile.

"Now Loki."

"Fine, take it off, the spell has been reversed." Loki motioned his eyebrows to the jewel above his head. Anna ripped it off. The harsh eyes and radiating anger quickly shifted into that of the real Loki, her Loki.

"Anna?" He looked puzzled.

Annabeth didn't care how confused he was, she wrapped her fingers in his course, jet black hair and kissed him passionately. He wrapped her up in his embrace, gently running his fingers through her long hair. They shared smiles as they put their foreheads together. Annabeth was always amazed how they could say everything while not saying anything at all. Loki, who rarely showed any emotion outside of sass and sarcasm in public was melted into what he was behind closed doors, what he was with Anna.

"What's wrong?" Loki asked, he could sense it. He's known Anna long enough to know when something was the matter. He suddenly looked around, he had not noticed the amount of carnage that was around them, the fact they were kissing while things were on fire around them. Was this a dream? wait, what? Annabeth intertwined her fingers in Loki's.

"I need to go" She said adverting her gaze to their hands, continuing to play with his long, lithe fingers.

"Go where? where are you going? Listen, Look at me, Im a monster. I've spilled the blood of innocents, but I would do anything to make sure you stay with me. Don't leave. "Loki grabbed her shoulders and looked into her eyes. He saw there was a single tear rolling down her cheek. He quickly wiped it away with his thumb.

"My warrior crying? this must be some dream."

"This is no dream Loki" Annabeth took a necklace off and encased it in Loki's hand, wrapping his fingers over it. It was a jewel that looked like fire, an orangey gold fire that burned with divinity.

"Wear it, so I can be with you even when I'm miles away. Keep it safe." Loki rested his hand on her cheek and she nuzzled into it.

"Live, live and remember me." He embraced her once more, tightly, buring his head in her chest, refusing to let go. The light resonating from her went from a warm glow to an unbearable brightness, one that made Thor, Rogers and Stark shield their eyes and look away though Loki couldn't bare to. The light grew bright and brighter untill it subsided completely and Annabeth was gone. Like a candle that was blown out.

The bindings tying Thor hit the ground as they came undone. He massaged his wrists, being he hasn't had them off in a while.

"I don't understand where she went" Thor said, getting up from the ground.

"She traded herself for you both" Stark said.

"Traded?" Thor questioned.

"Yeah, whoever held you guys captive actually wanted her. They promised to leave you both alone, and Earth forever if she went to him." Starks faceplate lifted up and he itched his nose.

"Why would you let her do that?" Loki spoke up. His fingers clenched around the necklace.

"I'd say one God, for two Gods plus this planet is a really good deal." Stark shrugged.

"You're wrong." Loki fought back a sadness that crept it's way up his throat.

"She's the last of her kind. She's worth 10 of these planets, no, she's priceless." Loki looked into the center of the jewel, it was a torrent of energy swirling, ebbing and flowing, much like the tides.

"Did you not put up a fight?" Thor questioned, but Rogers and Stark fell silent.

"I see." Thor looked grim. The ground began shaking once more.

But Loki stayed looking at the necklace in his hands.

"What is that?" Thor asked as he braced mjölnir.

The Deal Was Broken


	7. Chapter 7

As the particles of light reassembled, Annabeth formed in the center of a dimly lit room.

"Tell me your name, you atleast owe me that." Annabeth tensed up and swallowed a lump in her throat.

"Thanos... I am the ruler of the Eternals." He smiled menacingly.

"Well Thanos, I do keep my promises... But when and if I find that you have not held up your end, I will kill you without batting an eye. " Her voice was monotone.

"But untill then." She bowed as only a Valkyrie knew how, she slammed one fisted hand across her chest and sent the other one against her back. Her posture straightened as her feet came together.

"Excellent..." he murmured as he examined her.

"Where's your grace?" he asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about, my lord." Anna answered looking straight ahead, still saluting.

"Don't be coy, of course you do. Your people wear your grace along your neck. I've slain enough to know."

"That method has been thrown out, because of such incidents."

"Don't you LIE TO ME" Thanos pounded his fists against the wall.

"I'm doing no such thing" Anna insisted there was no such necklace he was searching for.

Thanos sent his hand flying against her face. Her head stayed turned to the side as her hair dropped infront of her stinging cheek.

"Then where is your grace if not strung apon your neck?" Thanos asked, obviously tired of this superfluous banter.

Annabeth didn't answer.

"Is that so? I'll just have to find it myself" Thanos smirked and laughed as two alien beings, obvious lesser grunts grabbed Annabeths arms and ran her backwards, slamming her back, onto a table.

As they held her down through her struggles, clamps came up, fastening her wrists, chest and ankles to the table. Had she not given her necklace to Loki, she could've easily avoiding getting double teamed by these worthless saps, but this is what she feared, she didn't want her to have had her full power if she would become compromised. Atleast this way he might think Valkyries arnt so all-mighty and give up on her.

"I've prepared so much for this moment, too much." Thanos towered over her with a dagger in hand.

"What could you have prepared." Anna pondered.

"More than you know, I am the creature that lurked in the shadows and desimated your comrades, absorbed their powers, all to secure you."

Annabeth felt as if her heart shattered into a million tiny pieces, one that made her eyes water with sadness.

***********POV CHANGE*********

I didn't like returning to the helicarrier, even though this time I wasn't the prisoner. Thor stood opposite me as the rest of the Avengers sat around the circular table bustling and trying to wrap their tiny little brains around what could happen next.

"How are you holding up, brother?" Thor asked me with sincerity, I just smiled and brushed him off. I wasn't going to tell him that the light of my life was blown out. Or express how much I would flay the man responsible for all of this.

Director Fury settled the super friends down as me and Thor looked on.

"I'm hearing this right? This, man, took Annabeth in exchange for earthly peace, and still sent those giants? Do we have a war on our hands once more?"

"You're not very adept at inferring, are you?" I couldn't help but pipe up, none of this senseless talking was going to get my Annabeth home to be any sooner.

Fury went to retort but was cut off by Rogers speaking up, that national poster boy... ugh I didn't like any of these mortals, why must I even work with them? I'll find her myself.

"Loki you said she was the last of her kind, how did that happen?"

"Ah, the tale of Lady Annabeth~"

"One that's sure to be sang about in the mead halls." Thor faintly smiled and rested his chin apon his hand, ready to ponder what I was about to say.

All eyes shifted to me, and why wouldnt they want to hear what i have to say? I am surperior, am i not?

"Annabeth's mother, Elyanna, was a Valkyrie. The most beautiful and powerful in the land. She commanded brigades upon brigades of Valkyries, leading them into glorious battles, coming home with victory upon victory under her belt. She was fair, graceful and adored by the Aesir people. She oddly fell in love with the Harbinger of the Mage College."

"what was so odd about it?" Romanoff asked.

"I'd get to that if I hadn't been interrupted" I cleared my throat and returned to my tale.

"It was odd because all Valkyrie's only married warriors, but not Elyanna, she perfered the quiet intellegence that was Ralith."

"Oddly how Anna naturally prefered you over me" Thor added with a booming laugh.

I couldnt help by grimmace, Thor spoke truth.

"The rest of that love story is history. But Elyanna and Ralith were slain in the Great War that caused the Schism and that's when Odin took her in. She was a few years younger than us, so we had to always protect her, it just happened naturally. But she didn't need our help, she took to the sword as soon as she could wield it and followed in the footsteps of her mother. But because she had both advanced genes, Warrior and Intellegence from her folks, she was a perfect hybrid. She trained with Thor for battle then we spent the night reviewing her studies. She grew into an amazing woman. A splitting image of her mother, in looks and personality. Always the light at the end of the tunnel. She rose through the military ranks untill she had become a General. But the story that finally wavered Odin into turning her into a Valkyrie was when Sif and her were sent to Ultif to spy on the enemy, they were captured immidently, as their cover was blown.

Annabeth destroyed their entire operation single handedly and carried Sif home on her back, who was gravely wounded. Annabeth was banged up a bit herself, but she still carried Sif all the way to the Bifrost before the planet exploded. Noting her stregnth and bravery, her corination was as soon as she healed. Becoming a Valkyrie wasn't just another promotion, it was a whole new way of life. Valkyrie's had their own headquarters, there were only a very very select few, sworn to protect all the innocense everywhere. They excelled in both swordmanship and information, unparalelled by even the average AEsir. After the countless victories of the Garrison, Anna was showered with medals and honors. She became just as adored as her late mother, some would argue she was even better.

She was eventually promoted to the head of the Garrison. This is where she recieved her helmet of the Gods, it was an ivory white embrodiered with orinate golden designs and trim, its white crest is what made it so intricate. The helmet covered everything besides her crystal eyes. It was accompined by golden flaked wings on either side of it, less fluffy feeling and more of a metal feeling. She was considered the most powerful being in exsistance, aside from Odin himself. She was at his right hand when ever he asked anything of her, she completed the task and then some.

The task that changed her was the one that will live in Infamy to all Asgard and her people. The day the mighty Garrison disappeared. Annabeth doesn't talk about it at all. Only answered questions Odin had. But naturally I had my ears open. She had led her troops onto the planet of Furith to expell the darkness that plagued it. But creatures lurked in the darkness, creatures so dark it'd make the purest being beg for mercy at the sight of it. Annabeth tried her best to fight those, things, off, but it was no use, her women were dropping like flies and she had no idea how or why. Valkyrie's shouldve been able to erradicate the planet easily, but to this day no one knows what it was that wiped out The Garrison. Cut to the day Annabeth was finally spotted by heimdall after he followed a distressed cry, one that cut through wind as it reverberated throughout space, A Valkyrie's cries are distinct, they sound like normal yells, but are accompanied by a frequency so high it can shatter the hardest of materials, depending how much pain they are in. Heimdall had sent the bifrost to her. But she only returned with her best friend, practically sister, Genevieve slung over her shoulder. But this wasn't like when she returned with Sif, where she accomplished what she was asked of with minimal calateral damage to herself. Annabeth was in horrible, horrible shape, almost beyond repair. She was bedridden for a great part of a month. I stayed with her every moment i could, but she was not the same Annebeth she was when she left, not the same radiacting confidence or the natural happiness. Her eyes a bright blue, but held back so much pain and anguish. She watched her sisters die slowly and painfully. Odin recieved so much anger and hate, saying he sent them in without enough information, he ill informed them, and that is why they died. But Annabeth didn't agree, she believed their blood was on her hands, she led them into their death with high spirits of victory and conquest."

"what happened to Genevieve?" Fury asked

"there was nothing they could do to save her." Thor interjected.

"How come Odin just doesn't make more? That seems like the most logical thing to do." Stark seemed a little edgy.

"Make more? What do you think they are? No you cannot just promote those unworthy to the status of Valkyrie. When they are corinated, they are infused with a great deal of power, a power only those pure in will and heart can bare. If the receiver isn't worthy they won't be able to withstand the power, and will pretty much just explode."

"Proformance issues" Stark shrugged and fell silent once more.

"So the universes greatest weapon is in the hands of the enemy?" Fury asked hastily.

"No, she's not at her full power." I said as I toyed with her necklace.

"What makes you say that?" Fury asked raising an eyebrow.

"This right here is an Amulet of Elyanna, named after her mother, This is what holds a Valkyries Grace and their celestial power. She still has some little tricks, but this is the big kahoonah. It permanently locks onto the wearer and only they can take it off."

"So why do you have it" Romanoff asked.

"Annabeth gave it to me, she said to keep it safe, I'm assuming it was a precaution in case she gets compromised. And I'd say it was a good call..."

*******POV CHANGE*******

"Listen, bird, it's in your best interest to tell me where it is, otherwise I'm going to have to cut it out of you." Thanos pinched her cheeks together which prompted Annabeth to spit in his face. To which he angrily wiped it off and smacked her once more.

"Have this Nightengale strung up" he motioned to his little thralls. Who wisked her off the table and into what appeared to be another room. The whole place was too dark for her to make out much. It was the same darkness she had dealt with those months ago. With a shutter she felt her wrists bound above her head. A single light was turned on directly above her. The room she was in gave her the sense she was in someone's spacecraft. The creatures had stripped her of her armor and anything that could've been in Thanos' way.

Thanos came through the door after a few moments brandishing a small dagger, one she had seen before.

"You see, you misinterpreted my goal. I don't need you, I need what you're harboring. And once I get that, I'll have your body ripped apart by savage beasts.

He took the knife and gracefully cut across her Collerbone which prompted her breathing to get fiercly heavy as her chest beat up and down. She didn't cry out, infact she forced her mouth to stay closed as she looked away from the man who was about to carve her like a holiday ham.

"It's a shame though, I should have expected you to act this way. Why should you give me anything I want? am I right?" he asked

"I would die before I reveal anything to the likes of you. You've misinterpreted my loyalties." Anna looked down Thanos, almost showing him she wasn't afraid of him, or the slightest bit intimidated.

"That can be aranged, my sweet."  
Thanos dug the blade into her side, reopening her previous gash. It wasn't deep enough to kill her or hit anything vital, but still felt as if her skin was on fire, burning away at her muscles. She had never felt such physical pain before, this was a pain she didn't know was even possible.

He slashed and cut away. Carving gash after gash into her stomach. Annabeth couldn't hold in the whimpers that scampered out of her drying lips. But that wasn't enough satisfaction for him, with a single swipe he sliced over her eye, leaving a verticle strip of blood that followed the curved of her cheeks and forehead. Thanos didn't let up, next he move to her arms, which he snapped as if they were twigs. Letting her body dangle solely by her muscles and tendons, keeping her arms connected to her.

Annabeth could tell this wasn't the first time Thanos had tortured someone, he was too precise, too aware of how to make her endure pain but not kill her.

"I must say, your friends gave up a lot sooner than this." Thanos shoved the blade into her leg.

With an agonizing cry, the room shook.

Thanos pulled the blade out of her leg, then jammed it in the other one.

Annabeth mimicked the scream once more as the room shook even more noticibly.

***********POV CHANGE***********

"So if Annabeth was so perfect and happy for you, what the hell happened last month? Why would you come here with blood in your eyes?" Romanoff asked me as I locked my hands behind my back.

"I fell Into a black hole, I dealt with mornings I couldn't wake up to her smiling face, moments I couldn't hear her reassuring me that I wasn't a lesser being. I was consumed by what I didn't have, the throne, a throne, power, that I had forgotten the love I had. Annabeth never truly forgave me for letting her believe I was dead. I was told she mourned more than my own mother. And when she heard I was on Midgard causing chaos, she had no choice but to treat me as the enemy. Valkyrie code dictates that. The enemy is the enemy, it is simply a black and white manner. But how wrong that codex is, there is always a gray area."

"Sir! We have a problem!" One of the simpletons at their computers called to Fury. How does he get to be called Sir? he's so weak!

"What is it?" Fury asked folding his arms.

"9 point Earthquakes" the lacky shouted back.

"Where?" Fury asked.

"EarthquakeSS?!" Romanoff pointed out.

"That's the thing, Sir, everywhere."


	8. Chapter 9

Hours had passed as the scarlet blood trickled down her body and hit the ground, forming little pools at Annabeth's feet. Her limbs were limp and her head heavily hung down. Sweat soaked hair sticking to her forehead accompanied by heavy gasps for breath. Her body was covered in ghastly slashes, ones that instantly cauterized only to be reopened again and again.

Her eyes were dim and hazy, as if her eyelids weighted to much to even keep open.

The door to her dungeon opened and a slice of the blinding light made her body twitch and her teeth clench, she was kept in complete darkness.

"Have you decided to tell me where your mojo is?" Thanos slithered into the room.

Annabeth remained silent.  
Thanos grabbed her by the hair on the back of her head and pulled it to the opposite side, so the light hit her face.  
All Annabeth did was smirk.

"The untamed know no fear, a fear of a thing as petty as death" she said between raspy breaths.

Thanos threw her head down and proceeded to walk back out.

"The song of a caged bird" He slammed the door behind him and Anna was reunited with the familiar darkness, but not for long. He should be back soon with the dagger that will kill her eventually... How long could she keep this up? This rouse of stregnth? She was dying.

***** POV CHANGE ****

"They've stopped sir, all of them" the man at the computer curiously clicked at the keyboard.

"If Thanos did not keep his word, you must Inform the rest of the nations. Those giants will kill them all if you do not." My face was somber as I directed my statement to Fury.

"Brother, can you not project to her? You have been with Thanos before, you could find her." Thor put his hand firmly on my shoulder.

I brushed it off.

"Such a task would be exhausting, and even when I find her, if I find her, I cannot hold myself there long enough to make any impact."

"TRY" Thor boomed.

"You think I do not wish to find her?! You belligerent fool! I want her home and safe more than anything.." I just wanted this whole nightmare to be over. I wanted to go home to my bed and just sleep the days away with her by my side, her hands tangled in my hair.

"All of you watch, help me find her..." I hopped onto the table and crossed my legs. I focused as my spectral form projected into space. I brought myself back to where Thanos and I had spent all our time planning and plotting, his lair. It was far from homely or anything anyone would wish to be in, let alone dwell but I couldn't do much in persuading him to relocate.

I mapped out the floors of this metal palace and set off roaming the bottom floor, to work my way up. The dungeon was one of the amenities he was most proud of, it had everything one could think of to make a person weak and break their will. There was no way he would keep Annabeth down here, not if she was his crown jewel. She was probably somewhere up high in her own quarters. I was ready to leave when the scream caught my ears, the scream that sent chills up my spectral spine and made the ground quake beneath my feet.

"Could that be her?" Banner asked as he eyed the holographic movie unfolding infront of him.

I couldn't bare the thought of Thanos torturing my love. I had to believe it wasn't her, but some other Valkyrie. Maybe one he had kept since the Garrison ordeal. But my curiosity got the better of me. I followed the bellowing cries down the dim corridor, but I was met by Thanos leaving the room with sweat on his brow and malice in his eyes. He didn't take notice to me since I was just a projection, I wasn't really there, I'm invisible untill I chose to be seen.

As I shifted through the wall, I gulped. Unprepared for whatever I was about to see, about to feel. Then it hit me, I saw her.

She was tied up with a single small spotlight coming down from the ceiling onto her.

She looked absolutely horrible, and for a moment I didn't even believe it was my Anna. Her body was carved and bloody, her hair stringy and bloodstained. Her wings were clipped and then broken as she clung to whatever ounces of life she had left. I barely heard her faint breaths as I rushed to her. She couldn't see me not hear me, It was like yelling to a dormant volcano. She was unresponsive, weighing her options internally of how much more she could take. And by my judgement, id say not too long.

I momentarily materialized, holding a projection so far away, while the buildin was warded by an anti magic spell, was extremely difficult and painstaking, but I gently lifted her face to look at me, I saw the tears that had stained her face in anguish and the singular slash over her eye, that was sure to leave a scar on her perfect complexion. I brushed the sweaty hair off her forehead and kissed it. Then rested her head against my chest, so maybe, just maybe she would feel me with her, let her know I was going to get her out of the mess I got her Into. I wasn't going to let her go, no not like this. Not in any way, not ever.

The room around me erupted in speculations and objections, to which I payed no attention to. I was drowning in my own thoughts and had no extra room to listen to these fools bicker about who's fault this was or how we were completely doomed. I just felt annabeth, and in this moment, I was awakened. I made vows to protect this little doe eyed dove, and I intended on continuing my promise to her mother.

I stroked her head as I quietly sang to her.

To Odin many a soul was driven;  
To Odin many a rich gift given,  
Loud, raged the storm on the battlefield.  
Axe rang on helm, and sword on shield.

I wanted to take her off that rack and just take away all her pain, all her anguish and worry, all her burdens were better suited on my back.

Suddenly her eyes slowly began opening, as she looked directly into my eyes, but couldn't see me.

She muttered my name and it hung on her lips, as if the breath was hanging on for dear life. I knew she sensed me, It wasnt the first time I had done this to her. I've snuck up on her once or twice while she was ... oh nevermind that, this was important !

I took a final glimpse as i caressed her cheek before snapping back to the boring dull grey walls that was the SHIELD meeting room.

"And? Where is she?" Stark was eating a blueberry muffin that actually smelled wonderful, but I didnt pay much attention to the aroma of the baked goodness of crystalized sugar and oh goshhhhhhh

"where did you get that?" I asked

"The Cafe" he replied, biting into it once more.

"Thor get me one" I looked at him with pleeding eyes, to which he obliged and saw himself out of the room.

"ahem, you'd better suit up, we need those Giants kept under control. I don't know where she is, and i've completely lost sight of what Thanos could want with her. If she was so important, why would he have her strung up like a prisoner of war, he's torturing her for some kind of informtion, but what?

What indeed as the smell of my freshly baked muffin drifted into my nose.


End file.
